[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan":3,"chapter-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-50":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Memoirs of the Heavenly Khagan",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2311768,4516,"Chapter 50: The World in Chaos, the Situation Excellent","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>The moon was bright, the stars sparse; beyond the Great Wall, a dozen men sat on a hillock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate of the pass slowly opened; Hou Jing led his men out, leading twenty horses, moving to the side of the hillock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hou Jing, I thought you weren’t coming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, their faces were unclear, but the voice was unmistakably familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Hou Jing, have never broken a promise to my brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing had his men hand the horses over to the dozen men, along with a heavy sack of gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really won’t return to Ma Yi with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. Ma Yi is fine, but our families are all in Huai Shuo—we can’t leave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well. But do you know what to say when you get back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Li Shen’s troops breached Wo Yang City, stormed the governor’s mansion first. The imperial forces were too numerous—we couldn’t recover the gold the True King sent to Bei Lie Bu Ruo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful. Don’t give away your trail. Po Liu Han Kong Que isn’t someone to trifle with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax—we’re not fools!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing smiled, moved by the familiar dialect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I miss Huai Shuo, especially the people there. By the way, how’s He Liuhun? Still guarding the city walls?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing looked puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not long after you left, that boy married a daughter of the Lou family. He’s got a four-year-old son now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which Lou daughter? Lou Heinv?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lou Zhaojun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s a famous beauty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing couldn’t help asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That kid’s dirt poor—how the hell did he manage it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s good-looking. Lou Zhaojun saw him once and took a fancy to him—she even brought her own dowry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kid’s really made it big!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One fears a brother’s suffering, yet dreads his sudden rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Hou Jing had completely forgotten his nostalgia for old friends; he couldn’t help cursing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good curse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter faded; in the cold wind, it was time to part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing bowed his fists and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Safe travels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the lotus pond, Li Shuang drank tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong walked over and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never thought you’d dare embezzle money from Po Liu Han Baling and Yujiu Lu An Gui!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t play dumb with me. Even if you covered your tracks perfectly, you can’t fool my eyes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Chong finally revealed the authority of a crouching tiger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Manipulating militia, colluding with rebels, deceiving the court’s grain and funds, fostering bandits to strengthen yourself—ten deaths by beheading would be too lenient!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Li Chong suddenly realized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re killing three birds with one fish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, what fish? Our Hengzhou is mountainous and far from the sea—where would we get so many fish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t flatter me. The law shows no mercy—even if you’re my adopted son, there’s no exception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what do you want to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong smiled, leaned close, and whispered in Li Shuang’s ear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You used Qing Zhun as a shield. Doesn’t that money count as my share too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang chuckled, his smile carrying genuine warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I already give it to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong frowned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With this battle’s merit, your elder brother can be transferred back to Luoyang and secure a fine post in the Imperial Guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong’s face fell:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s your ‘gift’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great generals aren’t forged overnight—they’re built on gold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this boy’s audacity, Li Chong grew more impressed; stirred by joy, he was unusually generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got a point. Be early at tonight’s victory banquet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Hengzhou rebellion quelled, the banquet’s star was naturally Li Shen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong was delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What father doesn’t wish to see his son achieve glory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the merit was watered down and risky, it was still merit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong’s eldest son, Li Shizhe, had joined the army young and showed great military talent, but now he was gravely ill. That was why Yuan Xü sent Li Shen on campaign—Li Chong had resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he was old; second, he feared that if he left, he’d miss seeing Li Shizhe for the last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the emperor’s will could not be defied!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong had come anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into the tangled mess of the northern frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Shen shine among the crowd, Li Chong felt deep comfort and drank several more cups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling his strength waning, Li Chong excused himself, waved his hand, and had Li Shuang help him into a nearby room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Li Chong swayed, nearly collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, are you all right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A little wine—nothing serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Li Chong pulled a decree from a nearby box and handed it to Li Shuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shuang, read this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang opened it, frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crush Po Liu Han Baling within two months? The emperor shows no mercy to his ministers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t speak disrespectfully of the emperor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong gestured for Li Shuang to sit, poured more wine, and began a second round of sipping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shuang, how would you quell the northern rebellion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Six Garrisons are tigers cornered—push them harder, and their resistance grows fiercer. Rouran lurks nearby, ambiguous in alliance. The Six Garrisons are divided; Rouran is half-hearted. Rather than surround and crush them, use a mix of suppression and appeasement, secretly sow discord, and defeat them one by one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong listened, thrilled, downed three cups in succession—but when he set the cup down, his eyes dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brilliant strategy—exactly what I thought. But it cannot be implemented.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The court fears the rebellion spreading. The Eastern and Western Chile in Guanzhong have revolted—they must divert more resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if we rush success in the north and stumble, won’t chaos spread faster?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Chong’s sorrow surged; he drank again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—unfortunately, Yuan Xü is stubborn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang quickly glanced around and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t speak disrespectfully of the emperor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong, drunk now, waved his sleeve, venting his frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What emperor? Just a young Xianbei boy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told him to turn garrisons into provinces—he ignored me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told him not to trust An Gui, not to let him return north—he ignored me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told him not to follow his mother’s example, squandering state taxes—he ignored me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now the Six Garrisons are in revolt, Rouran has turned traitor, Guanzhong is unstable—and he blames me, forces me to clean up his mess!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, Li Chong was a crafty old fox, never slipping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was just an aged man, face lined with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whose empire is this—Yuan’s or mine? Why must I hold it for him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang listened, thrilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the court fears that not swiftly suppressing Han Baling will spark more rebellions, then why not incite more rebellions first, so there’s no longer urgency to crush Han Baling?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong glanced at Li Shuang, and his troubled face suddenly broke into a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your idea is extremely dangerous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1148,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","07d8833d842212d92f069541666c822aa6cae7ed3c363f695a2da845d53fad70","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-51","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-49",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]